Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 500: Mansour Personally Visits, Offering Lin Quan a Huge Salary for Contract Renewal

Although the wild statements of Manchester City fans annoyed some people, no one directly refuted their claims. After all, Atletico Madrid's once-proud defense had been torn apart by Manchester City. If Atletico didn't lose in the next leg, it would be a success, let alone a reversal.

"Manchester City is about to reach the Champions League final for the third consecutive year, and they have a great chance to win three consecutive titles!" "Yeah, it's unbelievable. Before City successfully defended their title, no big club had managed to do so for years—not even peak Barcelona. And now, Manchester City has done it and could win a third in a row. Who would have believed this three years ago?" "Three years ago, City was still a pushover in European competitions, struggling to get out of the group stage. Who could have predicted their sudden rise, let alone winning titles?" "This is all thanks to that man. Without him, how could City have a chance at the Champions League trophy?" "So, City's higher-ups, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and renew Lin Quan's contract!" "Exactly! No matter what it takes, use emotional appeals, family ties, even charm if necessary. We want Lin Quan to stay at City forever!"

Lin Quan's contract with Manchester City had only two years left. For an average player, two years might seem like a secure contract period, but for a superstar like Lin Quan, having only two years left was a dangerous signal.

Although Lin Quan had not accepted offers from other clubs in the past few seasons, this did not mean he would always stay. A player not renewing their contract signals a possible departure. Once other big clubs picked up on this, they would certainly take action.

Thus, for Manchester City, renewing Lin Quan's contract was urgent.

"How's it going? What did Lin's agent say?" asked Fahim, in the chairman's office.

"Lin's agent said he's not ready to discuss a renewal yet," replied the assistant.

"Is that his agent's idea, or Lin's?" Fahim frowned. Lin Quan was too important for City to lose, but renewing his contract had been difficult. Last summer's offer was politely declined, and when Fahim tried again during the winter break, Lin Quan and his agent wanted to focus on the season and avoid distractions. With no winter break in the Premier League and the busy festive period, Fahim postponed the renewal talks.

However, with the season nearing its end and the summer transfer window approaching, Lin Quan's contract time was running out. If they couldn't renew now, City would be bombarded with offers from other clubs once the transfer window opened.

City didn't want to sell Lin Quan, but they needed to understand his intentions. If he wanted to leave, City needed to be prepared. Otherwise, they risked losing him for nothing.

"Chairman, should we..."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear that again. If you suggest selling him, pack your things and leave," Fahim interrupted harshly. Selling Lin Quan might seem tempting, given his market value and performance, but who could replace him? He was irreplaceable. If he were easy to replace, other clubs wouldn't be offering astronomical sums for him.

Lin Quan's high value proved his uniqueness. Fahim had three options:

Approach Lin Quan directly and try to persuade him to renew using emotional and logical arguments. Report to the club's owner, Mansour. Since Mansour personally invited Lin Quan to City, he might have a better chance of convincing him. Involve Guardiola. Everyone knew Guardiola and Lin Quan had a strong relationship, and as the head coach, it was his duty to retain key players.

After some thought, Fahim decided to use all three options simultaneously. If one method worked, the goal would be achieved. If all three failed, they would have to consider losing Lin Quan.

With Lin Quan's contract expiring in two years, City could sell him this year if they couldn't renew, as waiting another year would lower his transfer value. However, this was the worst-case scenario. City hoped to keep him if there was any chance.

Upon receiving Fahim's report, Mansour, far away in Abu Dhabi, took the matter seriously. He immediately arranged to travel to the UK on his private jet to meet Lin Quan and have an open conversation.

Mansour highly valued and admired Lin Quan. The honors Lin Quan brought to City in three years not only validated Mansour's vision but also significantly boosted the club's commercial value. This success extended to the City Football Group, attracting numerous investors and enabling rapid global expansion.

Without City's success in the Premier League and Champions League, the City Football Group wouldn't have garnered such investor interest, nor could it have expanded so quickly worldwide.

Whether out of personal feelings or from the perspective of the Abu Dhabi consortium's commercial interests, Mansour hoped that an excellent player like Lin Quan would stay at Manchester City. However, unlike many profit-driven American businessmen who view players and clubs as mere tools for profit, Mansour saw Manchester City as his project. He greatly respected the veterans who had brought various honors to the club. If someone insisted on leaving because it would benefit their future career and life, he would respect their decision.

Mansour's sudden visit caught Lin Quan off guard. "Boss, what brings you here?"

Seeing Mansour waiting outside his villa, possibly for a long time, Lin Quan hurriedly picked up the ball, took out his keys, and opened the door.

"I came to see you. Did you just finish training?" Mansour noticed Lin Quan's sweat-soaked jersey, indicating he had been training for a while. Mansour couldn't help but admire him. No wonder Lin Quan always performed so well on the field; he put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Having both talent and a strong work ethic made success inevitable.

"Not exactly training, just keeping my touch with the ball," Lin Quan replied.

Although Mansour rarely had the chance to play football himself, he was very interested in the sport. He asked Lin Quan about his training methods in detail. Lin Quan didn't hold back and explained his training regimen. It wasn't anything too special, just some improvements on basic training. For example, practicing on irregular terrains like beaches or mountains to affect the ball's trajectory, requiring precise control and improving ball feel significantly.

Mansour didn't fully understand but appreciated Lin Quan's detailed explanation. It showed that Lin Quan had a comprehensive and meticulous training plan, dedicating most of his time to training. This explained why, despite his fame, there were rarely any scandals about him in the media.

Deciding that such a dedicated and self-disciplined player must stay at Manchester City, Mansour was willing to pay any price. Once inside, Mansour got straight to the point. "Lin, I came mainly to discuss your contract renewal. What are your thoughts?"

Lin Quan had guessed Mansour's intention as soon as he saw him. "Boss, I haven't decided yet. There are still two years left on my contract, so there's no rush."

Mansour smiled, knowing Lin Quan was stalling. Two years was too risky; the club couldn't afford to wait. The renewal had to be sorted out soon. "I rarely get involved in club matters or attend games at the Etihad Stadium, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the team. Like many City fans, I've seen you and Guardiola lead Manchester City to the top of Europe, dominate the Premier League, and build a new dynasty. You are indispensable to Manchester City, just like Messi to Barcelona. I hope your names will be written in the club's history, your statues standing at the stadium entrance, and your deeds remembered by fans forever. I hope you can become and always remain Manchester City's king."

Lin Quan was surprised by Mansour's eloquence. A graduate from a top American university and a sheikh, indeed, had impressive skills. Lin Quan felt that despite the awful weather, unappetizing food, and the monotony of staying in one team, Manchester City wasn't that bad.

Seeing that his words had an effect, Mansour decided to add more. He nodded to his assistant, who handed Lin Quan a new contract. Compared to last year's offer, this contract, personally decided by Mansour, had significantly better terms. "You can take your time to consider it and discuss it with your father."

Mansour didn't push further, knowing that overdoing it could backfire. His goal was to show the club's sincerity with a new contract. Reason, emotion, and benefits were all laid out. If this didn't convince Lin Quan, there was nothing more Mansour could do.

Before leaving, Mansour instructed Fahim not to disturb Lin Quan about the renewal until the summer transfer window opened.

"The big boss is a nice person, a great boss to work with," said Guardiola, indicating his high regard for Mansour, who met all demands without meddling in team affairs—a rare quality among football club owners.

Unlike Chelsea's owner, Mansour rarely visited the stadium or the dressing room, avoiding interference with the coach's authority. Fahim mentioned that Mansour watched almost every City match, including the League Cup and FA Cup games, making him a die-hard fan of the club, even more dedicated than Guardiola.

"Yes, he's a good boss, and he's very generous," Lin Quan agreed, handing Mansour's contract to Guardiola, who looked at it and was stunned. "An annual salary of 40 million euros? Are you sure he didn't add an extra zero?"

Guardiola's current annual salary was only 10 million euros. If Lin Quan signed this contract, his salary would be four times Guardiola's.

"Is 40 million a lot? Barcelona is offering Messi the same for his renewal next year," Lin Quan replied.

(To be continued)

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